I'm an introverted girl, in a not-so-introverted world.

Month: April 2017

For the first time in Pakistani cinema revival, I watched the trailer for a movie and wanted to watch it as soon as it was released. The movie being Chalay Thay Saath , which was released this Friday, the 21st of April.
The very next day I came across movie review posted on The Express Tribune which labled the film to be Beautifully Bad. I refrained from clicking on the article and decided to experience the movie for myself, without forming a biased opinion.

Sigh. It hurts my heart to admit that the article was indeed pretty spot on. The movie turned out to be a sore disappointment, pretty much like every other Pakistani movie that I have seen in the past 2 years.

So here is a list of random and ridiculous thoughts that I had during this oh-so-very-lengthy movie along with a small plot summary. Warning! Possible spoilers!

1- Opening shot: Legit haseen Pakistani scenery.2- Introducing Resham (Syra Shehroz), a doctor living in Karachi with her friends Tanya (Mansha Pasha)and Zain (Osama Tahir), a troubled married couple, on the verge of divorce.3- Behold, how Resham greets her father (Behroz Sabzwari) on the phone:
Resham: “BUDDHAY!!”
Dad: “Budha hoga tera baap!!”
Resham: “Baap se he tou baat ker rahi hoon.”
Yes okay. Because that’s totally normal.4- So Resham decides to go back home to her dad, which is situated in the mountains. (Sorry I forgot which ones. They literally all look the same)5- Tanya, Zain and Faraz (Faris Khalid) aka the group’s 3rd wheel decide to tag along with Resham making it a farewell trip of sorts. Enter random aunty who they meet on their flight to Gilgit.

6- Aunty turns out to be a total badass aunty btw. After her disobedient children tick her off, she leaves them and her home behind and sets off on the trip to the mountains to chill. Aunty you are future goals, I swear.7- So the group of 5 becomes 6 when they pick up Adam (Kent S Leung) from a graveyard in their adorable lime green Volkswagen. Instant spark between Resham and Adam of course, who cannot speak a word of English or Urdu. And communicates with everyone through his Google Translate app, throughout the movie. Because a little communication gap never stopped nobody.8- Resham likes to write in a leather bound diary, which she drops by accident. The diary is picked up by Adam, who immediately shoves it inside his backpack. Because that’s how you win a girl, you steal her personal diary, duh!

9- The movie progresses as the group travels through the mountains, enjoying the breathtaking views. And the occasional Pepsi (product placement done oh-so-subtly) Tanya and Zain continue to stay curt to each other and we see Adam and Resham being adorably cute. A certain Star Wars and Harry Potter reference in the movie made me giddy with happiness. Geek in me approves. 10- In a scene, Adam sneezes and says “Alhumdulliah.” To which everyone reacts with a shocked expression, followed by a burst of laughter. Apparently, this was a weak attempt to tell us that Adam was a Muslim. Eh. Okay then. How convenient.11- The group ends up in some location, nearing Resham’s home, where they meet Zhalay Sarhadi. Who is a carpenter. Yep. With the hammer and wood planks and stuff. With the full faced make up and jhumkas and stuff. Farhan instantly falls for her.12- Meanwhile Adam gets random people to read out Resham’s diary into Google Translate to understand what she has written. Resham on the other hand has no clue that it’s day 4 and her diary is missing. Like come on. Am I the only one who keeps her journal closer than her kidney?

13- Zain and Farhan (who were brilliant actors btw) catch Adam with the diary red-handed and Farhan starts beating the poor thing up. Resham runs to the rescue. Big fight. Farhan leaves. And Resham sits down with Adam and explains to him how she has written about her deceased mother in the journal. Adam also opens up about the death of his father and how it strained his mother. They hold hands. Awwww.14- The holding of hands was somehow a declaration of love and marriage plans being formed. Well alrighty then. Sure enough, Resham calls up her father and tells him that she’s bringing home the guy she wants to marry. Erm hello? DID ANYONE EVEN ASK ADAM IF HE WANTS TO GET MARRIED? Well they definitely cut that scene out then -_-15- At this point, they part ways with aunty. And Farhan stays back with Zhalay. Zain and Tanya decide to keep their differences aside in order to help Adam win Resham’s father’s approval. Cute scenes follow.

16- Somebody needs to explain to me how all the characters was wearing brand new outfits and shoes every single day of the week long trip? WHERE oh WHERE were they storing these? Everyone was only ever carrying a tiny suitcase.17- So after a week of leaving Karachi, they reach Resham’s home. YUP. You read that right. Resham meets Adam, falls in love and decides to marry him in a span of a week. And we thought Disney was ridiculous.18- At this point Adam’s phone gets messed up and without his translator, his first impression with future Dad turns to an epic fail. Dad refuses to let Adam pass through his doors and makes him stay in a tent outside. Saying that he would only let Adam pass when he proves his worth as a Bahu. Sorry, Damaad I mean. You shall not pass!! Such hospitality. Much wow.

19- Adam stays a night in the tent and gets a call the very next day, informing him that his mother was hurt. He packs and leaves a 2″ x 2″ piece of paper on Resham’s window explaining the situation. No tape or nothing. He just. Keeps it on the window. And sure enough, the piece of paper gets blown off the window as soon as Adam turns his back.20- Resham gets upset when she realizes that Adam left. And her father promises there and then that he would find Adam and bring him back. Basically. THAT’S ALL IT TOOK? A FEW TEARS?21- At this point, the movie takes a turn into real life events. A landslide in the nearby mountains causes the area to flood and Resham and her father lose their home and are forced to live in a refugee camp. Which is luxurious AF btw. Meanwhile Adam reaches his home in Beijing.

22- Here a random event turns the refugee camp into summer camp with singing and dancing and you’re just sitting there like, what the actual eff? Who knew people who’d just lost their homes could be so jolly.23- Adam hears about the landslide on television and with his mother’s blessing, he travels back to Pakistan. A soldier at the Pak-China border informs Resham’s father that Adam is back in Pakistan. At this point you just give up asking questions like how did the guard even recognize Adam? Aren’t all Chinese men supposed to look the same?24- In a cheesy turns of events, Resham’s father starts preparations for welcoming Adam back. At this point, Adam steals a boat and gets to the camp. And is welcomed back with literal open arms of Resham’s dad. Resham is overjoyed to have Adam back. And then they get married in designer clothes and flawless makeup in a REFUGEE CAMP and you’re just sitting there like wut wut wut wut wut is this life.

So there you have it. For a movie which began with such promise, it got worse and worse with every passing minute. The sad thing is that the movie was shot very well, the acting was good, the attempt to capture Pakistan’s beauty was a success. There were some nice, heartfelt jokes and a very cute Chinese guy. But despite all these things, the horrendous plot of the movie just killed it.

So it’s been over 3 weeks since the Netflix show “13 Reasons Why” was released. By now I’m sure that more than half of the English speaking population has watched it. My entire Facebook Friend List definitely has!

So it’s no longer a secret/spoiler that the show is based on the theme of teenage suicide. Based on the novel of the same name by author Jay Asher, initially the show was widely praised for it’s approach towards suicide awareness. Not only that, but the show was intense, captivating and could set you on the edge of your seat. I for one was guilty of binge-watching the entire show in one go. It was just that good.

But.

This show. It does something to you. It’s difficult to put into words, the after effects this show can have on an individual. It may vary from person to person, but it definitely plunges deep into your soul and makes you look at life differently. Which is exactly why, the positive articles were closely followed by articles declaring the show a trigger for people battling depression and suicidal thoughts.

So before I give out my verdict, here are thirteen thoughts I had after I finished watching the show last week. Along with, thirteen things I wish I could say to Hannah Baker.

1- High school sucks. But so does life. You have to learn to face it. In school, you have bullies, overwhelming academics, over-expecting parents, peer pressure etc. But they’re just the tip of the iceberg called life. High school ends. But problems do not. They too evolve, so it’s vital to evolve and mature with them.Hannah, this isn’t it. I cannot promise a perfect tomorrow. But I can tell you that this isn’t it. There’s more to life than this. Bad, maybe. But good too.

2- You find some, you lose some. I think it’s safe to say that we cross paths with dozens of people in one lifetime. We make friends, we create immortal memories. But then we drift apart. We fall out of touch, we become strangers. But then we also meet strangers who later, become friends. That’s just how life is. It’s impossible to have it any other way.Hannah, people suck ok? They come and go. But then they come again. I wish you had held on a little longer. I’m sure you would have met some amazing people in the years to come

3- Stick and stones. Most of us are guilty of gossiping as teenagers. And the habit only gets worse with age. But what we fail to realize, is the staggering effect it can have on a persons life. Rumors can be lies. But mostly, they stem from half truths, which is worse. Because in that case, the subject of the rumor stands no chance of defending his/herself.Hannah, they say people talk. But people don’t just talk, they talk shit. And you can’t stop them. I wish it didn’t have to be this way but it is. They talk. And then they stop talking and move on. I wish you had stayed around long enough for that.

4- He isn’t worth it. They never are. Enough said. It’s just another thing you learn along the way. That a broken heart doesn’t kill you. Unless you let it.Hannah, you were worth so much more than the idiotic guys made you feel. I wish the right one had come along earlier.

5- Fight for your passion. Our likes and dislikes are exactly what give our lives meaning. They set us apart from everyone else. And so they are worth fighting for. No matter how old you are, you need to stay in touch with the things that drive you.Hannah, I wish I could tell you that you were an amazing poet. Perhaps your words were too good for this cruel world and it’s cruel people.

6- It’s the little things.It literally is. Although these little things are hard to come by, and even harder to spot, sometimes, they’re all we get. It’s unfair and cruel, but it’s the bitter truth. Often than not, these little things can be big enough to last us a million lifetimes. If only we learn to cherish them with all our hearts, before they fly right by us.Hannah, I wish you had looked harder and longer for the little things.

7– Cut out the poison. Some people will never care. Whether you’re alive or dead. They would be least bothered either way. So why bother keeping such people around at all? Cut them out. Cut out all the poison from your life. Rid yourself of all the abusive relationships around you, be it friends, family or a boyfriend/girlfriend.Hannah, not everyone cares. But some people do. They’re the ones you needed to stay alive for.

8- Love yourself.

Because sometimes, no one else will. You have to believe in yourself because sometimes, no one else will. You have to respect yourself because sometimes, no one else will. You have to love yourself with enough passion to make you fight for the love and respect you deserve. Accept nothing less than that.Hannah, you were a beautiful soul. And you deserved so much better.

9- Confront. Confront. Confront.You cannot shelter grudges in your heart and expect your soul to heal at the same time. Let it out. Talk. Communicate. Fight for the love you deserve. Because if you leave the wound unattended, and it’s bound to fester.Hannah, I wish you’d never had to record the 13th tape.

10- Skeletons in the closet.Nobody’s life is perfect, don’t let them tell you otherwise. Everyone is fighting a secret war within themselves, every second of every day. It’s almost impossible not to ask the “Why me?” question every now and then. But in all honestly, it’s never just you. It’s everyone who walks this Earth.Hannah, I wish you had opened up to someone I wish you had met someone who understood what you were going through. Maybe then you wouldn’t have felt so alone.

11- Have faith.Close your eyes. Take a deep breath. And tell yourself that you will be okay. Maybe not today. Maybe today is just a bad day. And like all bad days, this one will end too. Nothing lasts forever. Nothing is for certain in this life. But faith. Faith makes the bad days go buy just a little bit quicker.Hannah, this too shall pass.

12- Look Around.You might never know, who around you could be contemplating to end their life. Look closely. Ask people if they’re okay. Listen to them talk. Take the first step. A random act of kindness from you might give someone the will to live.Hannah, someone should have seen that you were in pain. Someone should have done right by you.

13- Suicide isn’t the way out. A cliche? Maybe. But also the truth. Anything is better than ending your life. It’s the easy way out. Life is harder.Hannah, I’m sorry for the way things went. I wish it hadn’t come to this.

Personally, I really liked the show. It was gripping and thought provoking. I can bet that it made every single individual pause and look at themselves and the people around them, at least once. The acting was brilliant. And the direction of the show was commendable.
As far as Hannah’s story goes, I will say that I understood why she succumbed to her troubles in the end. But suicide was not the answer. She was surrounded with kids her own age who were equally troubled as her. But none of them took the extreme measures that she did. I guess that only proves that some people are more fragile than others. And these people are the ones who need help and love and compassion.
But.
As someone who’s had her fair share of depression, I can tell you that this show is no doubt a trigger for troubled individuals. I wouldn’t advise people against watching this show, but I would definitely ask them to stay strong while they watch it.

P.S. All pictures in this post are the property of Netflix an IMDB.com
With that note,
Happy watching!